海角大神

War correspondent Scott Peterson was 25 years old when聽he first went to Somalia, so聽his in-depth story today holds special聽meaning for him. It brought him back to聽a nation he had first encountered in the聽early 1990s, when it was collapsing under聽the weight of widespread hunger聽and violence.

Similar threats are聽roiling the country again, but聽conditions had shifted enough to聽support a return trip. Something聽else had changed as well: This聽time, Scott鈥檚 son Guy traveled聽with him.

Father and son had planned聽a trip together to mark Guy鈥檚聽college graduation. The original destination was a bit less聽adventurous, at least by Scott鈥檚聽standards. 鈥淚 had in mind something like聽the World Nomad Games, which take聽place framed by scenic mountains in聽Kyrgyzstan,鈥� Scott says.

But the pandemic delayed travel. Guy, meanwhile, had聽established himself as a photographer in聽West Africa. He recently took a hostile environment training聽course, and Scott joined him to refresh聽his skills. 鈥淭hat made me realize how聽ready he might be if a conflict situation聽arose," Scott says. "And I thought, maybe Somalia.鈥�

That idea isn鈥檛 as surprising as it聽might seem. Scott鈥檚 work in Somalia set聽him on a decadeslong course of writing聽about and photographing the聽world鈥檚 conflicts with a powerful聽compassion for those caught up聽in them. Now, Guy was embarking on his own journey. In an聽echo of the 1990s, warning bells聽were sounding about Somalia鈥檚聽hunger crisis. It made sense to聽explore the story together.

Of course, Scott had much to聽offer Guy as an experienced war聽correspondent and student of聽Somalia鈥檚 history. A large chunk聽of his book on Africa, 鈥淢e Against My聽Brother,鈥� is devoted to the country. He鈥檚聽stayed in touch with long-ago sources;聽one he reconnected with recalled how聽Scott, desperate to catch a U.N. plane,聽had once stunned everyone by scaling聽and leaping over a high wall of a compound blockaded by Somali gunmen聽because of a pay dispute. Scott grasps the聽complexities of conflict 鈥� including how聽ordinary people persist amid the most聽daunting challenges.

A generation ago, Scott couldn鈥檛 have聽imagined he鈥檇 come back with a 25-year-old Guy 鈥� who had plenty to offer his dad聽as well, sharing photographic techniques聽and first-visit perspectives. 鈥淚 learned聽from him, and he from me,鈥� Scott says.聽鈥淓very night, we鈥檇 sit down in Baidoa or聽Mogadishu, looking at each other鈥檚 images, sharing comments. This was a live聽situation where we felt we were helping聽to sound an alarm about Somalia鈥檚 famine. That made a difference.鈥�

Nor could he have envisioned what聽their partnership would mean to Somalis, who took close note of this rare聽American who returned. 鈥淚t was a talking聽point that I had been there at such an聽incredible period in their history,鈥� Scott聽says. 鈥淎nd then when I say, this is my
son, we鈥檙e going to witness this together聽鈥� they were so pleased. To them, it was a聽total sign of respect.

鈥淎ll those things came together in a聽really beautiful way.鈥�